Test yourself
Six words are enough, and sumimasen works hardest
- Sumimasen (すみません). Excuse me, sorry, please, and thank you when someone has gone to some trouble for you. It calls someone over, it opens a question, it apologizes for squeezing past in a narrow aisle.
- Kore (これ), this one. Said with a finger on the display case or the menu. It replaces the name of everything you cannot name.
- Kudasai (ください), please give me. これください, kore kudasai, is a complete order for a dish you can point at.
- Ikura (いくら), how much does it cost, for anything you buy.
- Eigo (英語), English. Said with a questioning tone, it asks whether anyone here speaks English. You get a yes or a no.
- Arigato gozaimasu (ありがとうございます), thank you. The short arigato is for people you already know.
An open question gets you an answer you won’t follow
Ask for directions and you get exactly what you asked for: an answer in Japanese, with a district name, a numbered station exit and two turns in it, and you walk off more lost than before.
Two habits fix this.
Ask closed questions. One word with a rising tone does the job: eigo to ask whether anyone speaks English, ikura for a price.
Show instead of describing. The address on your phone screen, the line on the subway map, the dish on the menu. A finger does something a sentence cannot, because it narrows the reply down to the one object you are touching, and the person in front of you answers in the same register by pointing back at it.
20 more words for getting around
| Word | In Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eki | 駅 | station |
| Kippu | 切符 | ticket |
| Densha | 電車 | train |
| Chikatetsu | 地下鉄 | subway |
| Basu | バス | bus |
| Takushi | タクシー | taxi |
| Kuko | 空港 | airport |
| Hoteru | ホテル | hotel |
| Yoyaku | 予約 | reservation |
| Toire | トイレ | restroom |
| Iriguchi | 入口 | entrance |
| Deguchi | 出口 | exit |
| Migi | 右 | right |
| Hidari | 左 | left |
| Massugu | まっすぐ | straight ahead |
| Kuruma | 車 | car |
| Mizu | 水 | water |
| Konbini | コンビニ | convenience store |
| Genkin | 現金 | cash |
| Kado | カード | card |
20 more words for small talk
| Word | In Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Konnichiwa | こんにちは | hello |
| Ohayo gozaimasu | おはようございます | good morning |
| Konbanwa | こんばんは | good evening |
| Oyasumi nasai | おやすみなさい | good night |
| Sayonara | さようなら | goodbye |
| Hajimemashite | はじめまして | nice to meet you |
| Yoroshiku onegaishimasu | よろしくお願いします | pleased to meet you |
| Onegaishimasu | お願いします | please, when asking a favor |
| Itadakimasu | いただきます | said before eating |
| Gochisosama deshita | ごちそうさまでした | said after a meal |
| Kanpai | 乾杯 | cheers |
| Oishii | おいしい | delicious |
| Sugoi | すごい | amazing |
| Kawaii | かわいい | cute |
| Kirei | きれい | beautiful, clean |
| Tanoshii | 楽しい | fun |
| Daijobu | 大丈夫 | it's fine |
| Wakarimasen | わかりません | I don't understand |
| Hai | はい | yes |
| Iie | いいえ | no |
Google Translate does most of the work
Google Translate, on Android and iPhone alike, uses the camera to read a whole menu at once, a posted notice or the control panel of a washing machine with no pictures on it. It is the app that genuinely solves the language.
One thing has to happen before you fly: download Japanese inside the app, over Wi-Fi, so translation keeps working with no connection.
With a connection it all works better, and you keep live maps and address search on top. The eSIM for Japan page compares the plans.
What you can do today
- Download Japanese in Google Translate while you are on Wi-Fi. It is the one step you cannot catch up on once you land.
- Set up your connection before you fly, on the eSIM for Japan page.
- Learn sumimasen. The other five will keep until the flight.